Customer Reviews

The Highly Sensitive Person's Companion: Daily Exercises for Calming Your Senses in an Overstimulating World

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I read Ted Zeff's book "The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide" I was impressed with all of the innovative suggestions in the book. Unfortunately, just like New Year's resolutions I've made over the years, within a few weeks I found it difficult for me to keep following his many ideas for bringing more peace into my life.

However, I discovered Zeff's new book, "The Highly Sensitive Person's Companion" which is just what I needed to help me maintain my commitment to make the changes that I want to implement in my life. There is a different area to focus on each week and the daily reinforcement has been so helpful to get me going in the right direction. For example, I knew that trying some of Dr.Zeff's suggestions for centering myself when I wake up and calming myself down at night would help me, but it was hard to make the changes by myself. However, by following his suggestions every day for a week, I'm now regularly following a daily routine and feel confident that I'll maintain my new schedule.

This is definitely the book for you if you want to make permanent changes in your life so that you won't be knocked off center by insensitive people and too much stimulation.

I read Dr. Zeff's first book, "The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide" and found his suggestions very helpful for me to cope with overstimulation as a sensitive person. "The Highly Sensitve Person's Companion" is divided into 52 weekly sections whereby the reader can spend sufficient time practicing and integrating the practical suggestions into their daily life.
I've already begun to implement the ideas in the sections on calming the senses and dealing with a stressful job and find myself more centered at work and am finally able to deeply relax when I come home from my job. I'm also taking several mini-retreats during the week after which I feel revitalized and am better able to deal with my intense daily schedule.
From developing a specific diet and exercise program to creating peaceful relationships, this book is truly a godsend for the sensitive person. The final section deals with the sensitive person's soul and has helped me to develop an awareness of my life's purpose and see my daily sensitivity challenges in the proper perspective.

This book is chock full of information to help the sensitive person function at an optimal level in our tense society. I've been practicing Dr. Zeff's weekly techniques and have found them helpful. One of his chapters dealing with resolving conflicts with difficult people at work has been a lifesaver. After many months of putting up with an insensitive co-worker, we now have worked out a solution and I can finally feel calm at work. That chapter alone was worth the price of the book.

I have been following his suggestions of eating heavy, warm, moist foods and now feel more grounded from my new diet. I've also enjoyed practicing his different meditation techniques. So many great suggestions!

I work as a psychotherapist and often see clients feeling a lot of
self-reproach and poor self-esteem because they think there is
something wrong with them since they are so finely attuned to their
environment. They are easily overwhelmed, burnt out, or deflated due to
their reactions to their home or work environments. If I suspect they
may be an HSP I refer them to Dr. Zeff's book and they have reported
feeling relief that there really is nothing wrong with them and that
there are many people like them i.e. 20% of the population. The book
offers specific strategies to cope with overstimulation which are
immensely helpful.

"Ted Zeff is like a breath of fresh air. Whether you are new to the trait of high sensitivity, or whether you have been integrating the trait into your life for years, you will find his new book, The Highly Sensitive Person's Companion, Daily Exercises for Calming Your Senses in an Overstimulating World validating, nurturing and supportive."
-Jacquelyn Strickland, LPC

This book has been quite helpful in my healing journey; I especially
enjoyed the emphasis on creating balance, and tuning into the spiritual side of life for a HSP; giving myself permission to pursue activities that fit who I am and not the world's dictums.
What a gift your work is to my world and the world at large.
A must for all of us seeking support for who we are!! many thanks.

I found this book to be extremely helpful coping with today's stresses as a highly sensitive person. It was clearly written and easy to understand. I have passed this on to other highly sensitive people.

There is good advice in this book, particularly regarding sleep, which according to the author's bio is his speciality. Sleep is one of my biggest problems so from that perspective the book is helpful. There are is also good advice on meditation, visulaization, etc. presented very concisely, which I like.

However his nutrional advice follows the low-fat, semi vegetarian mantra. Get with the program, Dr. Zeff. Thanks largely to Sally Fallon, people are waking up to the fact that a diet high in good traditional fats is what you need -- particularly if yours is a nervous, high strung personality.

The other problem I have with the book is the feeling I'm being talked down to, like a child. The truth is I don't fully believe in the HSP premise to begin with - although I find it useful to think about. I believe HSP's are one end of a spectrum of personality types, not that it's a definitive trait -- as Elaine Aron, originator of the term, insist it be in order to have validity.

In summary there's plenty of good advice here, but the bad dietary advice and patronizing tone are turn-offs.

This book is a series of unintentionally hilarious ideas that whiny people are supposed to use to make every part of their world conform to their slightest whim, because apparently no discomfort is too tiny to make all those around them work hard to ameliorate it. It's good that the book's estimate of 20% of the population being HSP is incredibly overstated, so that the rest of us will have some vain hope of making these people happy, or more to the point, shut up about it all.

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